119 



depends upon the aspect, orographical features, mean altitude, and many other 

 secondary causes. 



Banks' Peninsula has, in many respects, a peculiar botanical character, aa 

 some of the zones are here, as it were, blended with each other in a very 

 striking manner. Moreover, several species of plants growing here, are not to 

 be met with elsewhere. 



The sand-hills near Christchurch are very good examples of the first, or 

 Littoral zone, which consists mostly of creeping succulent plants, fond of saline 

 matter, and of sedges, grasses, and a few small shrubs. 



The second or Pine zone, is well represented in our neighbourhood by the 

 Hiccarton Bush, and still better by the forests on Banks' Peninsula. 



It contains, from its low position, the most luxuriant portion of the New 

 Zealand vegetation, high, straight trees, growing closely together, interwoven 

 by numerous lianas, their stems covered with mosses and ferns, and with a 

 dense undergrowth of shrubs and fern-trees. 



This second, or Pine zone, is very rich in species, whilst the third, or 

 Beech zone is remarkably uniform, except on the edges of the forest, or along 

 the water-courses, where shrubs and some smaller trees are mixed with it. 

 But once fairly entered into the Fagus (or Beech) forests, we find very little 

 undergrowth, and the stems of the trees are remarkably clean. 



The vegetation of Christchurch and its neighbourhood belongs to the first 

 and second zones, with which Mr. Armstrong will make us further acquainted. 



The Vegetation of the neighbourhood of Christchurch. By J. P. Armstrong. 



Before entering into the subject of this paper, I may be allowed to 

 make a few personal observations, and to request that you will kindly grant 

 me your indulgence for this my first Essay. 



I should never have ventured to bring these notes before the Institute 

 had not our President urged upon me, that the preparation of the lists would be 

 very desirable. 



I have, therefore, occupied my leisure hours with drawing up these lists ; 

 in doing which, my son, who for several years has almost exclusively occupied 

 himself with botany, has rendered me most effectual help, in naming the 

 mosses, ferns, fungi, etc. 



I am well aware that these lists are still incomplete in many respects ; 

 but I have no doubt, that, in the course of next year, much more material will 

 be collected, so that in a short time they will contain the names of all the 

 plants found within a radius of ten miles around Christchurch. 



As Dr. Haast has kindly written some introductory remarks to my notes, 

 I need not enter into botanical geography, but simply state that the vegetation 

 of the country, of which I shall treat, belongs to the first, or littoral zone ; and 

 to the second, or pine zone. 



It is my intention to furnish, at some future day, a complete list of the 

 plants in this district, classified according to Hooker's "New Zealand Flora." 

 I shall at present only give lists of the most prominent localities, in which a 

 great variety of vegetable life gladdens the eye of the friend of nature. 



Amongst these localities none is more conspicuous than the Riccarton 

 Bush, which, as the following list will show, is remarkably rich in species. 

 In fact we have there a small remnant of the large forest, formerly, without 

 doubt, covering the Canterbury Plains, giving us an insight into the luxuriant 

 forest vegetation, which, in a bygone age, flourished here. 



The principal portion of the forest consists of the noble coniferous trees, 

 Podocarpus Totara, P. ferruginea (Black Pine), P. spicata, P. dacrydioides 

 (White Pine), Ela?,ocarpus dentatus (Hinau), fifty feet high, with pendulous ra- 

 cemes of white flowers. The bark of this tree yields a permanent dye, used by the 



